Jolene

Chapter 1 Spring Festival

Jolene was excited as she prepared breakfast. She set the table and set out the meal. Then she carried her younger sister Gabby and placed her on the seat and assisted her mother to transfer to her chair and began serving. The plates were filled with generous portions of scrambled eggs with cheese, biscuits with gravy and fried sausage slices.

"You seem energized today Jo," her mother said.

"I'm excited, no cheese making today and there will be music and dancing at the fair. I was up early and picked some berries."

"I love berries!" Gabby said. "I really wish I could dance."

"I'll help you little sis. You can ride on my back. I'm baking some pies for the feast later today."

"I don't think I will attend the fair Jo, just too tired. It's too much work to expect from you. Take my wheeled fiddle (hurdy-gurdy) with you."

"I can get you to the fair Mom, it's not a problem." They finished their meal and Jolene cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then she assisted Gabby to dress, strapped on her leg braces and brushed out her hair.

"Jody can I brush your hair for you and braid it?"

"Of course you can baby." Jolene sat on the floor as her little sister sitting on a chair behind her brushed it out and carefully braided it.

"I love your hair Jody."

"It's as thick and long as a horse's tail," Jolene teased, "and mousy brown."

"It's chestnut with a hint of red. Actually it's kind of wavy, I think it's pretty."

"Thank you Gabby. But yours is curly and I'd rather be redhead like you." Jolene assisted her mother to dress and put on her shoes and helped her transfer to the wheelchair. Then she used the wheeled fiddle's sling to strap it on her back and rolled her mother's wheelchair to the fairgrounds. Gabby used her crutches and followed behind.

Edward stood with his cousin Matthew and watched the young women and girls laughing and dancing around the Maypole. "There seems to be fewer people in the village," Edward noted.

"You've been away over four years, we suffered a plague about three and a half years ago. One in five died that winter. Those that didn't die outright have been left crippled. Most of the cripples were abandoned to die of exposure."

"That girl with the long brown hair looks very familiar. Why is she dancing with a child on her back?"

"That's Jolene, the cheese maker's niece. The child her little sister, Gabriella I think. Why?"

"Introduce me Matt, I really want to meet her. I don't think she will remember me."

The dance ended and Jolene had found a seat and moved it next to her mother and assisted Gabby to sit and reapply her braces. The tight braid Gabby had made for her hair had come loose leaving her hair wild, wavy and disheveled, her face was flushed and she had not yet caught her breath from dancing while carrying her sister. "Let me rest a bit, then we can dance again. Mom, can I borrow your wheeled fiddle?" Her mother nodded and smiling brightly Jolene walked toward the raised bandstand.

"Jolene," Matthew said as he approached.

"Matt, it's good to see you. Edward, it's been a long time."

"You remember me!" Edward said smiling, "And it's Ed, please, or Eddie."

"OK, Eddie, are you home to stay? I'm headed for the bandstand."

"Here on business. May I walk with you?" Jolene nodded. "Why were you carrying your sister?"

"She loves to dance but her leg braces make that impossible, so I carry her."